RESULTS Making the Most of Town Hall Meetings and Other Public Events Meredith Dodson Director of U.S. Poverty Campaigns RESULTS

Purpose  This training is designed to:  Share tools and tips on making the most of town hall meetings and candidate appearances  Demonstrate a useful exercise on speaking effectively you can use to train others  Answer your questions

 Working to create the political will to end hunger and worst aspects of poverty  Empowering individuals to have breakthroughs in exercising personal and political power  Over 30 years of advocacy experience  Time tested strategies and tactics  Active and engaged network that builds relationships with legislators, media and local communities What We Do

RESULTS Activists  800 active volunteers in about 100 communities around the country  Everyday people who want to make a difference  In 2011, our activists had…  Over 250 meetings with congressional offices, including 87 face-to-face meetings with U.S. House members and 23 face-to-face meetings with U.S. Senators  215 strategic media placements, including editorials, Op- eds, and letters to the editor  Over 100 outreach and community events around the country

Why Advocacy? We stand by as children starve by the millions because we lack the will to eliminate hunger. Yet we have found the will to develop missiles capable of flying over the polar cap and landing within a few hundred feet of their target. This is not innovation. It is a profound distortion of humanity’s purpose on earth. – former Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-OR)

Why Advocacy?  Advocacy is creating political will  Telling decision-makers what their priorities should be  If we want something, we have to ask for it  Every idea must have a voice  Decision-makers are not all knowing  Many times, they need to be educated just like everyone else  Ultimately…it’s about change  All major changes in social or economic policy, good or bad, happened because advocates did not give up until it happened — it’s a long-term project  Status quo, i.e. inertia, is a powerful force

Why Getting Face-to-Face with Policymakers Matters 97 percent of Congressional staff say that in-person issues visits from Constituents influence policymakers, with 46 percent reporting it has a lot of influence. (Source: poll of more than 250 congressional staff by the Congressional Management Foundation)Congressional Management Foundation

Find Your Members of Congress and Congressional Candidates Schedule a face-to-face in your District office Town Halls Candidate Forums and Debates Other Public Appearances County/State Fairs Local events Resource to locate your members of Congress: and

Make the Most of Town Halls and Public Events  Research: ask the RESULTS staff and coalition partners for insights and check out past votes on our website.past votes on our website  As a group, prepare your key “laser talks”.  Get there early to scope it out: Sit in the front. If they are taken written questions, many places go in order of when questions were written.  Spread out, but sit strategically: go to the front and near microphones  Make sure you get called upon: be “first, fast, high!” This means raise your hand immediately when it is time to ask questions, and keep it up there

“Work It” at Town Halls and Public Events  Work the line: introduce yourselves and follow up, or ask your question if you could not during the meeting. Handshaking Trick: Don’t let go until you’ve said your piece  Work the staff: Swap contact information and any additional material you brought with you.  Have a one or two page, easy-to-read sheet you can leave with their staff that outlines the issues and your request or “ask”, see this examplethis example  Bring local data and stories  Work the media: Find the media to share your laser talk to shape the coverage.  Follow up!

 Follow-up  Follow-up can be almost as important as the meeting itself  It further develops the relationship  Contact staffpersons who handle your issue to see what progress has been made on your request  Be sure to send a thank you note to whomever you met (handwritten is more personal, is faster)  Send supplemental information, if appropriate  If sending information, follow up a week or two later to see if they got it and to answer questions  Offer to be a resource on your issue After the Event

RESULTS:  Take Action Now:  Activist Toolkit:  Elected Officials:  Issues: Meredith Dodson Director of U.S. Poverty Campaigns / Advocacy Resources and Contact Info

You Can Make a Difference! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. — anthropologist Margaret Mead